Clark rides 'optimism' into mayor's chair

Hundreds of enthusiastic supporters packed city council chambers to watch new Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark take the oath of office.

Two of the people closest to Clark were notably absent, though — two of his three children opted to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night instead.

They missed spirited applause as Clark, 42, became the city’s first new mayor since 2003 and four new councillors officially joined Saskatoon city council: Hilary Gough (Ward 2), Cynthia Block (6), Sarina Gersher (8) and Bev Dubois (9). Dubois is no rookie, though, since she represented Ward 10 for nine years (2003 to 2012).

“I believe there is a sense of optimism in the city over what we can achieve,” Clark said in his opening remarks.

He began his mayoralty by paying tribute to his predecessor, Don Atchison, the longest-serving mayor in Saskatoon history. Clark defeated Atchison Wednesday in his bid for an unprecedented fifth straight term.

“Don Atchison has left his mark on this city as one of its finest champions,” Clark said.

He also thanked longtime councillor Pat Lorje, who served 22 years on council before falling to Gough on Wednesday.

Lorje approached her role with a “passion and a gusto, always looking out for the little guy,” Clark said.

He also thanked his other two opponents in the mayoral race, Kelley Moore and Devon Hein, for taking part in the campaign.

“And we gave the city a dynamic and engaged civic election,” he said.

Clark acknowledged to reporters after the ceremony that some difficult decisions lie ahead as the city experiences diminished growth after a boom period.

He said he is encouraged by a council that he believes will take a “collaborative” approach to solving problems.

Clark, who won with about 41 per cent of the vote, asked the many people who voted for one of the other candidates to work with him.

He admitted he will not come close to matching Atchison’s record for attending events in the community. Atchison claimed he attended 1,200 events in a calendar year.

“I will absolutely be at many events as the mayor and I want to connect with the community,” he told reporters.

Gersher admitted a “big learning curve” awaits her as she prepares to take on her new responsibilities. Ward 8 has been vacant since March, when former councillor Eric Olauson took a leave of absence to run for the Saskatchewan Party in the provincial election. He later resigned when he was elected as an MLA.

“It was really surreal,” Gersher told reporters of being sworn in as a city councillor.

Councillors were named to council’s four standing policy committees, although no information was offered about how the decisions were made.

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